Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Adventures

An Open Letter

2010-11-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

A note from Cynthia Salim, Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar
Sponsor: Westchester Rotary, District 5280, Greater Los Angeles, USA
Host: Rotary Club of Harrow, District 1130, Greater London, UK

Dear Harrow and Westchester Rotary Families,

Greetings from Geneva! When I left Los Angeles over a year ago to begin my studies as a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar in London, I never thought I would be writing you from here. Not only “here” in Geneva, Switzerland, but “here” from a perspective so impacted by the rich experiences and challenges of the year. I am always overwhelmed with gratitude when I realize how instrumental Rotary has been in helping live out my vision. I think I speak on behalf of many Rotary Scholars when I say that your scholarship and faith in us have changed the trajectory of our lives and made us better global citizens.

The concrete accomplishments that you have enabled me to achieve are straightforward to describe: I now have a Masters degree in Human Values and Contemporary Global Ethics from King’s College London, I have lived and volunteered abroad, made lifelong friends, and begun my vocation in social justice as a Policy Associate at the International Catholic Migration Commission in Geneva, Switzerland. But more importantly, my experiences as a Rotary Scholar have contributed to my world-view in ways that will always inform my life’s work. I’d like to share with you three of these unforgettable epiphanies.

The first is borrowed from an article by another world traveller: people are generally kind. As a traveller and immigrant this year, I have been forced to depend on the kindness of strangers. From having strangers put me on the right train because I'm a Los Angeleno who has never read a public transport map, to having new Rotary Counsellors be my pillars of support in a land far, far away, this year has convinced me that the human inclination for good far outweighs our capacity for conflict and injustice. Too often our media reminds us of the world’s violence and conflict, while telling us little of the day-to-day acts of kindness we experience from strangers. In my work in social justice and peace-building, I will never forget or underestimate the inherent human inclination for goodwill.

The second lesson I learned is that you can make a difference anywhere. I first struggled to find a service project as a newcomer in a country with extensive social services. When I joined a mentoring program that helped under-served students pursue a higher education, I was nervous about my lack of knowledge of the British education system. But after mentoring six high school students over seven weeks, I was shocked to read the evaluation forms. One of the talented students who previously did not want to pursue engineering because her parents called it “man’s work, fixing cars,” wrote that she wanted to go to university and obtain a degree in engineering. Another student whose friends teased her for wanting to pursue the arts wrote that she wanted to be an art teacher after we researched feasible routes to a career in the arts. While I won’t downplay the difficulty of serving with limited knowledge, I learned that simply showing people that you are available and willing to be of service can make a tremendous difference in people's lives.

Which brings me to the third lesson I learned: to “trust the process.” That is, to have faith that the little things we do in pursuit of a greater vision do in fact matter. At times, it was difficult to see how my particular efforts were contributing to my overall vision. Will this Masters degree actually help me be a better public servant for the poor and marginalized? Will mentoring these six students actually change their lives for the better? Will researching endlessly for this dissertation really produce a fascinating thesis? Yet, after every moment of doubt, the answer was yes, yes, and yes.

I'm sure that as Rotarians, there are times when it is difficult to see the end result of volunteering at a community event or writing a check to the Rotary Foundation. But I hope my narrative is one of many that give you faith in the process and show how your support of the Rotary Foundation makes a real difference. Little things like collecting household items for your incoming Rotary scholar or stopping to help a tourist get on the right train all contribute to creating the world Rotary envisions; one of fellowship, goodwill, and intercultural understanding.

I'd like to extend my gratitude to the Rotary Foundation, the local Rotary clubs that made this scholarship possible, and the individual Rotarians who have given of themselves so generously. I would like to especially thank my sponsor and host counselors; Joe Callinan and Rich Musella of Westchester Rotary who spent a very Rotary-filled and fun pre-departure year with me in Los Angeles, and Colin and Maureen MacDougall of the Rotary Club of Harrow who took care of me like their own child in London. I will never forget how your mentoring and care made me feel so blessed, supported, and secure in this adventure. While I will not yet be returning to Los Angeles, it is clear that it is not the end of my relationship with Rotary or the Rotarians I've met along the way. It has been a privilege to serve as your Ambassadorial Scholar and I look forward to joining you in furthering our shared vision of of Service Above Self through Rotary and in our own lives.

With gratitude,
Cynthia Salim

10 Indications That I've Become a Londoner

2010-04-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

10. I no longer see people on the streets, only obstacles to my destination.

9. I no longer expect/attempt eye-contact or small talk on the tube.

8. My walking speed is up to pace.

7. I have accepted that the bike lane is an actual lane and I cannot casually stroll in it with my iPod on.

6. I know that Zeh-bra crossings actually work. Cars will stop for me.

5. I no longer say things like "pants" or "sweatpants" in public.

4. I no longer arrive an hour early for a train at King's Cross Station like it's an airport. I can speed walk to where I need to be anyways.

3. I expect administrative inefficiency and customer service exceeds my lowered expectations.

2. When in doubt, I wear more layers than I think I need.

1. When people say "You ok?" or "You alright?" I neither get offended nor pour my heart out about what's been troubling me. And I sometimes replace "Peace out, yo." with "Cheerio!"

Is it already March?

2010-03-02T15:12:00.000-08:00

When you're an outsider, you don't come to "make a difference" in the same way insiders do.

The point was driven home to me by my wise mother. "Honey, it's great that you're learning French, but know that you will never be as impactful in a French-speaking country as you would be in an English-speaking country. You won't be as impactful in Geneva as you would be in LA. You know LA, and LA knows you."

For a second I thought, "Ouch, burn!" But as soon as I got over the insult, I took it for what it was. I realized that even in English-speaking London, I lack a certain cultural competence that would make me as useful as I was in LA. Let's face it, what matters is the little things. It's knowing the nitty gritty details and little nuances of a community and its needs and the powers that be that make you fully useful. That's what has made doing community service so challenging this year in London. Plenty of Rotary scholars found the same thing. The conception of community service is not quite the same here, maybe because of their extensive government sponsored social services, or maybe just because it's not as "cuddly" of a culture.

On top of this frustration--and let me tell you, it's a big one. Let me digress. Catherine and I were talking about those moments when you realize how petty your little miseries are in the face of more important issues outside of yourself. Those moments are usually brought about in our direct service with marginalized communities. "My concern about what dress to wear is silly, people are homeless/sick/hungry." Not having that regular interaction with a community to ground you makes "It's dark in London in the winter" seem like an un-managable crisis (though this lack of sun thing is bad in itself). Anyways, everyone is frustrated to not know London enough to serve it. It's not an excuse for our failure to serve; in fact, I'm mentoring at a school right now. But it's not the same--it's just a matter of knowing the nuances of a community and culture, knowing what growing up in England is like, etc.

So as I was saying--on top of this frustration of not knowing a new place enough to feel useful in a service capacity, London is also an...interesting...place. I've always thought that any city is a just made up of small, tight communities. LA is made up of the kids that play soccer with Lakewood AYSO, Boyle Heights's Dolores Mission community, Santa Monica's twenty something professionals who bike, etc. But London...is...not... Some parts may have a sense of solidarity, but it's the exception rather than the rule. Part of it is just that there is so much going on and so many people. I thought it might have been just me, but an English friend of mine affirmed this. She comes from a more community-based part of England and says "I just don't feel rooted here?" For both of us, it's the first year out of undergrad, a major transitional year, where we have to find how we fit into this world in some sort of community where we can be impactful and feel...rooted.

I kinda feel like one great big failure sometimes. All that LMU education, big name scholarship, and soooo little impact. Go change the world! Now!! You don't have a year to waste!
But the truth is, when you're an outsider, you shouldn't expect to be impactful the way original members of the community can be impactful. To come in...and claim that you know what they need...is quite arrogant. Unfortunately, it's how many aid and development efforts are carried out. It's not to say that we are entirely useless. I love the kids I mentor at this high school. I think they get a lot from me, and I get a lot from them. But the kind of service and the kind of relationship I build...is one of learning. One of humility. One of enrichment. Not the same kind of impact when I lobby for a law that I know impacts LA in a particular way.

I've just come to accept the year for what it is. One of learning. Yes, there are definitely ways in which I have contributed to the cultural enrichment of the people in my dorm who have not met an Indonesian-American, social justice-driven, pageanting, feminist, Jesuit educated, labor activist, martial artist, scholar. Yes, I have inspired five high school students to aim higher and obtain a higher education. But I have not been as impactful here as I was in Los Angeles. I was naive to think that I would. Just because I'm competentscholar doesn't mean I'm gonna be this saving grace in London, Geneva, or even (especially!) a developing country. I've come to accept these next few years to be a learning experience with an unrelenting focus on service and community.

In thinking about the next step, I often think it would be better to go "home," where I have cultural competence, and would make a huge difference. The closer to home I get, the more impactful I'll be. But is it really time for that? Or is it still time to learn and explore?

Russell once told me after a service trip to Mexico, "I feel like we're just messing things up. We make cement to build a house, and we're not very good at it. We're also not very good at painting. And we give more work to the community that has to host us. Isn't it more efficient to just send money?" My response: "Well, it's not about efficiency, is it? It's about building community and human relationships, and it's about learning. It's like letting a 5 year old bake a cake with you. She's not helping, and she's making a mess. But she's learning, and you're bonding."

Dear World,

Will you let me help you bake a cake? I know I'll make a mess, but I bet will have tons of fun doing it. Kthanksbye.

<3>

Hello 2010!

2010-01-10T10:05:00.000-08:00

Hello 5280 Rotarians and friends!

It's me! Still alive; though surprising given the cold! If it weren't for the fairy tale magic of the SNOWFALL, I would have given up and stayed under my electric blanket today.

Snow at Regent's Park with Newman House friends!

I had quite the New Year's experience in London thanks to Rotary. Paddy, one of the Rotarians in my host club is a past Mayor of Harrow, so she took me to brunch on New Year's day at 1 Whitehall Place with all the Mayors and Past Mayors of the Greater London Boroughs.

Paddy and the current Mayor of Harrow

We then had VIP seats to watch the New Year's Day parade. Apparently they bring in tons of American marching bands and cheerleaders for parades in Europe. It's not really a European thing; the UK just started some cheer squads, but as the host said, "They just don't have the RAZMATAZ of American cheerleaders yet." Ah, razmataz. But yes, it was quite the experience!

All the mayors of the London Boroughs in the London New Year's Day Parade!

I just got back from Jakarta, Indonesia, where I was attending my uncle's 50th wedding anniversary!

Just a few of his grandchildren

It was quite the event, and quite the culture shock to visit Indonesia after 6 years. There's a coherence to the social structure and wealth gap that will undergo much change in the coming years I think. There's some involvement in the new and growing democracy, and a teeny bit of faith in the anti-corruption movements. Overall, it was quite the challenge to process even as a native. But oh, the food! Wow, *faint.* I think more things grow in hot weather too, which allowed for so much variety... And of course, it was so nice to see how close the family is and see the little differences in those of us who have lived in the US or Australia.

I have exams on Tuesday, but they should be fine. Unless we get snowed in and all public transport shuts down. I only have 4 hours of class per week next term (can be stretched to 6 hours per week if I take the extra module), but it's still quite skinny. I'm enrolling in another french course and am definitely looking forward to joining a service/activism movement. Also still doing wushu, my Chinese martial art with the team at Imperial College. I miss Los Angeles because I miss feeling so connected to it. Knowing its challenges, its efforts, its life...but it took more than a year to come to know Los Angeles of course. I hope I can cram in as much as I can in the rest of my time in London. I'm glad I spend quite a bit of time with locals here, it's a much more authentic immersion experience I think. Looking forward to more.

Oh, also, here's a photo with the Harrow Rotary President, Nahid, and a Lord Mayor. Lord Mayors are ceremonial mayors; they "uphold the dignity of the crown," do openings and fundraisers and such. And the other day at the New Year's brunch, someone was talking about their Town Crier. "What's a town crier?" "Well you know, they go into town and they say 'O Yea, O Yea' and then they give you the latest news from the other village'" =D How much fun is that?!?!

Oooh, next term I'll be visiting Lindsey Fyfe in Scotland! Super exciting! She's our Rotary scholars from District 5280 also studying here. I'm also due for a big webcam session with Lindsey and Jamie, our 5280 scholars. Can't wait to hear all about their year.

That's all for now, there's a relatively new blog up, but I'll write a fresh one after exams. Hope all is well with you and yours, please give Los Angeles a hug for me!

Cynthia

Happy 3 Month Anniversary, Cynthia and London!

2009-12-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

Hello, world! It's me. I'm alive. I know it's been 4 months since I've blogged, but I promise I have good excuses.

All I had were facts. And who wants to hear those? Arrived September 1st, London Heathrow Airport. Stayed with lovely counsellors from Rotary Club of Harrow, Colin and Maureen. Moved in to Newman House Catholic Chaplaincy, Intercollegiate Housing. Started school. Blablabla. I just couldn't bring myself to blog the facts without giving it heart and reflection. And...I couldn't do it for the longest time.

London is hard to process and re-deliver. The important point is that it takes time. I can't tell you how irritated I get when people who have worked in Country X or Continent X claim "Oh, I know X, I worked there for 6 months." And then try to do economic or international policy thinking they "know" country and culture X. It takes time and humility to process a space, a community, a culture. You have to...let it interact with you... Let it bash against your whole self and your distinct personal narrative...and let it do its chemistry.

Today I hit the three month mark with a bang. In Harrow, appropriately enough, where I first landed and where my amazing counsellors live. :)

As soon as I got off on the Pinner stop I noticed the sharp difference in air quality. *inhale* Yeah--I take shallow breaths in London. I've really started to resent the pollution. And people inevitably ask "Isn't Los Angeles polluted?" "Ya, but I'm the pollution maker in LA, driving in my car. In London I have no choice but to walk and inhale all the junk." Public transport is one of those mind-bending concepts for my LA soul. A few serious thoughts:

1. It's the great equalizer. Doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, black or white, educated or not, everyone has to deal with it because driving is just so inconvenient. It's nice in that it forces you to somewhat interact with everyone...but not really...which brings me to...

2. Why doesn't anyone interact?!?! In Harrow, people will say "hello" (or "'ello!") as they pass by you because it's a small community. But you can be soooo unhealthily invisible in London, and it's epitomized by the anonymity of public transport. People have mastered the "keep a straight face on despite the skanky outfit/funny-looking piercings on the person sitting in front of you." I mean, it's not like I want to be best friends with everyone on the tube, but there's something freaky about walking through that many people and pretending they don't exist.

3. On a positive note, I've become more compassionate, considerate, and aware on public transport. Give up your seat for the old man/woman. Move along swiftly and don't cause traffic jams. Keep your stuff from falling on people. You don't quite get that in the individualized transport system of LA. Get out the WAY, dumb Kia, I need to get on the 10 East NOW.

4. But here's my irritation about public transport. You're so vulnerable. To the rain, the cold, and the scary--in LA, I could go to a party knowing I can leave safely at 10 or 2 AM assuming I can safely get from the door to my car/parking lot safely. I feel so dependent as a woman as you pretty much need a friend to walk you to the tube at unreasonable hours of the night. Which just reminds me that women are more susceptible to rape and violence, and hence should not be treated "equally" but rather with special consideration because it's not fair that I have to consider these things more than men do.

5. So these are my mixed feelings about public transport. It's dramatically changed the way I live. Sigh. I miss my car. But the most important reflection is this: I have so much more sympathy for people who don't have a choice in life but to walk and suffer from the pollution created by other people driving hummers. I mean that on a grand, metaphoric scale. Some people can afford to keep driving and living in their comfortable bubbles despite the cost of their luxury. Others...others just have to walk and get inhale the pollution. No choice.

It was so nice to get away from the chaos of London. Harrow, oddly enough, feels like home to me. At the end of the day, we're all kids, us 20something international students. Going home to my "English parents," getting fed a home cooked meal (thanks, Colin!), and getting sent home with leftovers, presents, and chocolate? The care every child needs. Which reminds me to be more pastoral in my career in social justice. Efficiency is important, but what's the point of making sure everyone is fed, clothed, and employed if they're still starved for human connection?

Do I miss home? Well that's a complicated question, isn't it? I miss feeling connected to Los Angeles. Being engaged made it home. I mean, the same 50 people run LA I think. At least the LA I know.

Home is an interesting concept my classmate Krysta and I explored. We were studying displacement and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the importance of home and the challenges refugees returning home face. Krysta and I have limited attachment to home. We both moved around quite a bit, me between Jakarta and Los Angeles, her between Guyana, Boston, and Switzerland. We learned not to become attached to any place or any person because we knew it was temporary. We are exceptionally well-adjusted and the term "home-sickness" just means reminiscing about the temporary past that was good while it lasted. We understand that whatever "home" was to us, whenever it was "home" to us will not be there if we go back. Homes was constrained by that particular time and context. Do I miss home? I am grateful for the 4 years of home LMU and Westchester gave me. I miss being able to serve a community the way I did in LA and Long Beach. But I don't necessarily wish I were back. There's just...nothing to go back to. I wouldn't be an undergrad anymore, a student activist, a resident advisor and mentor, a beauty queen, community servant... I flew back to Geneva last month (thanks for having me, Matt :)) and it felt as homey as ever. I took a train to home in Harrow and felt that I could let my hair down. Lucky are we who have people to miss in faraway places, but home is a concept that I've made work this way.

Funny, in 10 days I go "home" to Indonesia for Christmas. An Indonesian friend here said "You're 'going' to Indonesia, right? You're not 'going home' to Indonesia?" Yeah yeah, Benny, don't remind me. I'm trying to claim South East Asian roots, okay?? So I can tell the policy and development people "I know Indonesia! I lived there until I was 11!" Oh, but so much has changed, he says. And he's right. I'm slightly concerned that I'll look the challenges of democracy and development in the eye and want to run. Run to Geneva to work for an NGO where I can breath clean, Swiss air, and not have to breath the polluted Jakarta air. I suppose we shall see.

For now, home is Newman House in London. I love this place so, so much. Nicola knows it, she teases me. I just had evening prayer with Irma, my Indonesian mentor and language coach. It was so wholesome and peaceful. I regularly dance with Tash and Dave, teach Lyndon silly Americanisms, and talk politics with Pete. I'm looking around my room and thinking about how quickly this setting has become the backdrop of what's comfortable. I was so uncomfortable when I first got here. I had to buy polka dot wrapping paper with Sahil to cover the shoe rack because the color of the wood made me uncomfortable. I even bought knobs from IKEA because the gold knobs on the closet freaked me out. I've only changed one of those knobs. Never got around to it. Now knick knacks in the wrong drawer get yelled at as it seems so obvious that they have always lived in the third drawer rather than the second.

Well folks, thanks for tuning in. I hope it wasn't a disappointment. I'm alive, I'm thinking about how well LA and its people prepared me for this, and am enjoying this home before I have to leap to the next one. Who knows, could be Switzerland, could be Denmark, could be LA. For now, much love from Gower Street. Goodnight!

In Geneva, On the LMU Website!

2009-07-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

The view of Geneva from Mont Saleve in France (20 minutes away)

Lake Geneva!

Hey team!

I am in Geneva, Switzerland right now perfecting my French at the University of Geneva. In the meantime, I'm humbled to be on the LMU website representing Rotary: http://www.lmu.edu/site4.aspx

Geneva is stunning and challenging. Sometimes it's nice to go far away and realize that you still have a sense of self. Makes you grateful for the people who have built you. I love the ridiculously multicultural kitchen in my dorm. We say you never know what language is going to come out of people's mouths, but you usually share one or at least half with them. If I could have one superpower, it would be the ability to master all the languages. You get to meet people where they are...

Yesterday I went to the Montreux, an hour east of Geneva to see B.B. King live at the Montreux Jazz Festival! He did a free workshop and chat with the people; it was unbelievable. It'll be one of those stories when I get old; "When I was 22 I saw B.B. King live somewhere in the middle of Switzerland with a random British friend."

Oddly enough, I'm losing my English quite quickly. I'm going to arrive in London quite the lingustic mess. Ah well, the more fun!

It's now 1:23 AM and I am exhausted from learning my reflexive verbs and stressed pronouns and visiting Genevan landmarks. Off to bed! I'll write more later, folks!

Cynthia

Public Transportation, Farmer's Markets, the awkward Millennial Generation...

2009-06-11T22:58:00.000-07:00

I just realized: public transportation's gonna be tough. I finally came to terms with using an old messenger bag I got at Target a long time ago. When you're taking public transportation, you need HANDS!!

I also realized that public transportation in Switzerland and the UK is gonna be difficult for me because I'm gonna be so dependent on other people for survival. I don't even know if I know how to interact with strangers like that. I mean, I love talking to strangers, but on my own terms and for social purposes. Not because I have to in order to get HOME.

I had lunch with my former LMU Resident Minister, Marty, at the farmer's market last week and he said, "Y'know, I think Americans miss out a lot by not having a culture of cooking. Cooking's very relational. Like just now, when I had to buy these avocados at a farmer's market. You have to look at people, talk to them..."

What??? There's no "self check-out" at the farmer's market?? Marty, I don't even know how to take a phone call, I only know how to text and email from my phone! I'm a Millenial, I'm so deprived!

We are so awkward. I normally get to craft what I wanna say to you in 160 chrctrs tht fit into yr phne. I feel like spontaneous conversation gives us high blood pressure. Can I just tweet you later?

Aaaand, today was Tie Day at Target (my mommy is a cashier there), and I had to tie a tie for her, and I sat there in the Target Cafe trying to do it for 15 minutes when I finally sucked it up and asked the women next to me if they could help (and only because my neck started to hurt from staring down at my chest and the contortionist efforts necessary to tie a tie). They didn't know how, but shouted at every man that passed by until we finally found a Tie connaiseur! Hey hey hey, I would have gotten it eventually. But if I keep thinking that way, I'm gonna be stuck in Harrow looking for a train to inner London for DAYS.

Uhhh, so much interaction happens on public transportation... This is going to be uncomfortable, but good for me I'm sure. *hyperventilating* Maybe I should practice by making phone calls to people I know first...

Fail.

2009-06-11T22:18:00.001-07:00

My British Visa is stalled at the Consulate. =( WHY DO I NEED ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS WHEN THE COLOR PDF LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME??? Oh, the life of an international student.

So, New York and the Rotary Convention are cancelled as I am waiting for my visa to come in. But it's okay, Desmond Tutu is my facbeook friend. =/ And the important stuff is still on, Switzerland for 9 weeks and Kings College London for the year.

I'm composed enough to blog now, but I was bawling when my Visa agent told me, "Honey, it got rejected."

"You mean I failed??? But you don't understand, I never fail!! I get everything!! I don't know HOW to fail!!"

How appropriate that at the last Westchester Rotary meeting, Father Lawton talked about how students don't know how to fail. I don't! I think the most irritating part about failing is disappointing other people. I could care less about New York and the Convention, it's having to send 10 facebook messages to people who were ready to hang out with me that sucks. But then this moment of light came when I thought about my own words from my Senior Column:

"A community leader, lawyer and graduate of Loyola High School, Michael Balaoing said, “An optimist sees the glass half-full, while a pessimist sees it half-empty. But an LMU graduate doesn't care; they just want to give the glass to someone who is thirsty."

I think Balaoing was referring to where we choose to place our focus. Is it in the petty miseries we concern ourselves with when we fail? Or can we rise above our ego, get up and concern ourselves with getting that glass of water to the thirsty? In a few months, I will pack for King’s College London to pursue a graduate degree in Human Values and Contemporary Global Ethics as a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar. It is quite the honor, and I can only pray for the abilities to match the opportunities. Whenever I start to worry about failing to meet expectations, I refocus and refuel by reminding myself that it’s not about me and my potential for failure. It’s about having the honor of participating in building “the tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work,” and giving ourselves wholly with the cool passion, resilience and focus that the world deserves from us."

It's funny how writing can force congruence upon us. It's also funny how moments of clarity can be blurred by petty external happenings.

Shortly after my visa fiasco, I sent a heads-up to all the other UK bound Rotary scholars and got fifty billion emails back about the visa process, if I could send links, tell them what not to do so they don't get rejected, if they could call me, etc. etc. My first thought was, "ARE YOU SERIOUS??? NOT NOW, I'M TRYING TO GET A HOLD OF MY VISA AGENT TO RE-START THIS CRAZY PROCESS!!!"

But life is petty anyways. Success is about relating well with others and remembering that everything we do, we do in service to one another. Re-focus. Besides, this was logistical failure, nothing major. Either way, we handle it with grace. I am thankful for my Sursum Corda education. It never fails me:

"Lord, lift up our eyes that we may see those in need

Those who hunger for your friendshop

Those who crave your light

Lord, lift up our ears that we may hear those who call for help

Who speak your name

Lord, lift up our arms that we may carry the downcast

Buld the broken

Touch the lonely

Lord, lift up our hearts that we may see your face

Hear your call

Do your will

Amen."

Goodbye, Los Angeles!

2009-06-05T01:15:00.000-07:00

Goodbye and thanks for everything, Los Angeles! A glimpse of my Los Angeles: lots and lots of Rotary fun, attending a Jesuit University, peace and justice activism, my service organization, Asian American adventures, martial arts, pageantry, and exploring Los Angeles!

The last meeting with Joe, one of my counsellors,

Mason, our outgoing President, and Shiela, our new outbound scholar.

Rotary Family Picnic with PDG Dave Moyers and

Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar Lindsey Fyfe

SCOTS 2009, Inbound and Outbound Rotary Scholars in

District 5280

Loyola Marymount University

The Education of the Whole Person

The Encouragement of Learning
The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice

2009 Ignatian Teach-In and School of the Americas Protest with

Loyola Marymount University

Supporting the Los Angeles Living Wage to lift hotel workers out of poverty

Sursum Corda Service Organization!

This are my Little Cordas (I'm there Big Sursum!)

and they are SUCH phenomenal and inspiring men of service.

We're a fun bunch.

On our bluff by LMU's Sacred Heart Chapel,

one of the holiest places to me.

One of the most humbling and transformative experiences in service and solidairty:

Alternative Break to the Gudalupe Homeless Project in East Los Angeles.

I went with these lovely girls from LMU.

GHP is part of Dolores Mission, and is a faith based service for the homeless.

Sarah and I helped prepare breakfast at the

Guadalupe Homeless Project at 5 AM

Ohmygosh, it's Roger Fan.

We're facebook friends now. =)

California State Assemblymember Warren Furutani.

I interned on the campaign for the well-respected civil rights activist and educator.

LMU IHOP, International House of People for Chinese New Year. =)

Performing a martial arts form with the Japanese Sais at

LMU's Bentos Beneath the Palms--Celebrating Asian Pacific America

Performing Chinese Wushu with the Sabre...

and Amanda and I even tried our hand at Chinese Fan Dancing

at the last Bentos Beneath the Palms. We hope we made the Chinese proud...

Miss Greater Long Beach 2008.

I judged a doggie beauty pageant with Justin Rudd, an awesome community leader.

And MC'd an Asthma Resource Fair in a community with a disproportionately high number of

children with asthma =/

and the classic Charity Fashion Shows.

Resident Advising in sophomore housing!

What a fun bunch!

We made sure the staff knew how to spell R-A-I-N-S at the beach!

My Politics of California class took a trip to Sacramento where we posed by our repsective counties at the Capitol ...

...and we were spontaneously serenaded by a local Mariachi band.

Natalie, Amanda, and I hit up MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The Watts Towers is famous in LA. Made with only hand tools by Simon Rodia, it's made of broken pieces of ceramics from the people of Watts. A community sculpture.

Justine and I went during her finals week in 2008!

Booked!

2009-05-25T00:03:00.000-07:00

Everything is BOOKED, team!

4 flights,

2 hostels,

1 bed and breakfast,

2 Universities,

2 dorms,

CHECK!

Wow. I am one of the few lucky ones who gets to live her dream. My deepest gratitude to The Rotary Foundation and the phenomenal Rotarians in Greater Los Angeles and Greater London who have kicked off my adventure in service beyond borders. The passion and generosity you have shown have never ceased to amaze me with joy and gratitude. I will surely pay it forward.

Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J. said, "Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything." Who knew falling in love with service, social justice, inclusion, solidarity, peaceful activism, and political theory would determine this (keep reading for an itinerary of my "I can't believe I really get to do this" adventures).

In short, this is kinda how I feel right now:

Except that I'm a vegetarian. So it should say, "OMG!!! VEGAN DUCK!!!"

This is all google images could find...

READY???? HERE WE GO!! Leaving June 11th, 2009!

First Stop: New York City, 1 week

To Do:

1. See some spoken word and a broadway show.

2. Visit the United Nations.

3. Visit some friends who are closing the achievement gap as Teach for America teachers.

4. Re-connect with middle school friends who are chasing their dreams as actors in New York City. I love America. And starving artists. They make the world go 'round.

5. Visit Dan at Fordham University (because I love Jesuit education and want to be a Resident Minister one day. Mine were awesome. Thanks, Marty and Lydia!)

6. Visit Columbia University and talk to some people at SIPA, School of International and Public Affairs (because I love school and social justice).

Second Stop: Birmingham, UK for the 100th Rotary International Convention and World Peace Symposium! 1 week

To Do:

1. Meet my Rotary Counsellor, Colin, from the Rotary Club of Harrow, Greater London!!! Woohoo!! He's been so helpful with preparing me for the big move. Many thanks, sir!

2. Meet Desmond Tutu. I BETTER get a ticket to the World Peace Symposium. They have a few tickets left on site. Can anybody make sure I get one? Please??? I mean, he was at LMU... But now I have a tote bag from LMU with a Desmond Tutu quote on it. I wonder if he'll remember that he said it. "Do your little bit of good wherever you are. It's those little bits of good that overwhelm the world."

3. Visit the CADBURY CHOCOLATE FACTORY!!!

I'm SUCH a five year old. You have no idea how excited I am about this.

Thrid Stop: Geneva, Switzerland 9 weeks

To Do:

1. Take French courses at the Universite de Geneve for 9 weeks, 20 hours a week. Trying to become fluent so I can understand more people in the world and can work for an international organization.

2. Do/eat/purchase things stereotypically Swiss. Be neutral, eat swiss cheese, buy some Lindt chocolates...

3. Be able to read Le Petit Prince without cheating (I also purchased The Little Prince in English...)

4. Make some friends at some international organizations to learn about the wonderful work they do. This is why they made me Rotary business cards. =)

Final Stop!: King's College London!

To Do:

1. Get MA in Human Values and Contemporary Global Ethics by September 2010

2. Decide on one of the following topics for my Masters dissertation: global citizenship, global governance, women's asylum and refugee services, global prison reform, global governance of multi-national corporations, demilitarization. I know, super interesting, right??? My brain is so excited right now.

3. Volunteer with the Jesuit Refugee Service

3. Know public transit in my sleep. Thanks for the awesome map and guide, Sam!

4. Make some sense of the world. Better sense of the world.

5. Lift up hearts, Sursum style.

Oh, the opportunities. I've always been baffled by things like blatant injustice, war, exploitation, and the kind of solidarity that constructs and alienates "the other." And now, I get to explore these issues academically and prepare myself to address them. What an opportunity. Giving it my every bit of focus, talent, and cool passion.

I'm currently reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo, and he opens with reasons people fail to realize their dreams. Most of those reasons don't make much sense to me because I'm too youthfully idealistic. Children just don't believe in limitations and make no room for paralysis.

But there's one I can somewhat connect with. It's the fear that our dreams realized won't be as good as our dreams imagined. Will it really be as amazing as we pictured it in our heads? I'm a bit afraid to find out. But I am about to find out. How many of us really go to to find out if our dreams are really as good as we imaged them? Will a graduate education at a Top 25 World University really make me an effective warrior for social change, as I imagine? Will I maintain the cool passion and critical fire for service and social justice and continue to grow, as I imagine? Will I remain grounded, authentic, and humble in my endeavors under the limelight, as I imagine? Or will I finish in September 2010 and say, "That's it?" Y'know, it may be the youthful idealist in me, but I highly doubt that I'll be saying "That's it." I think it'll be more like, "Whoa. So that was it." and be more prepared to serve others.

As Benito from the Historic Filipinotown Rotary Club said in the invocation at the District 5280Conference, we can only pray for the abilities to match the opportunities.

There are lots of rational reasons to fear completing your dream (good thing we're not foolish enough to always succumb to reason). There's a character in The Alchemist who never follows his dream of taking the pilgrimage to Mecca because it's the dream of Mecca that keeps him alive. If he goes, what other reason does he have to live? One of my favorite mentors, Dino Entac, Director of Resident Ministry at LMU reminded us during Resident Advisor training that everything we do, we do in service to one another. It's never "over" and we are never "finished" because we are always called to serve. To invite those on the margins to the table. There is always more work. But work in serving as equals rather than helping as the privileged woman's burden is always life-giving and never exhausting. More of these thoughts in my senior column I wrote for the Loyolan.

Well, as Father Lawton, my University president and one of my favorite speakers, spiritual leaders, and human beings ever said, "When we go deep, things become very simple."

So, quite simply: thank you, see you later, and I'll remember to pay it forward. =)

Love,

Cynthia

A Very Rotary Week

2009-05-17T02:04:00.000-07:00

Aaaw, I love you guys. Thanks for all the excellent conversations over many meals, friends.

Monday

Dinner at Dr. Vicki Radel's with the Outbound Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars!

Tuesday

District 5280 Breakfast with a cool speaker about gang intervention. Good seeing some favorites, like Robert Ryans from Crenshaw-Watts Rotary and Jamie Sul with a booming Interact Club at St. Mary's High School sponsored by Inglewood Rotary.

Wednesday

Lunch at the Westchester Senior Center sponsored by my very own Westchester Rotary. It was cute. Y'know what students should help seniors do? Find their old friends (via the internet, etc.). This woman was telling me about one of her best friends and she has no idea how to find her. C'mon, facebook for the eldery.

Thursday

A super interesting lunch with our LMU Chief of Public Safety, Hampton Cantrell, Rotarian from Inglewood Rotary. Super cool person, must get to know him if you have a chance. Thanks for taking me out after finals week, Chief!

Saturday

A friendly outing and dinner with Christopher Patrick King from Culver City Rotary. Good talks; another super cool person. Watch out world, CPK has arrived.

Too much fun, team. Too much fun. Thanks for everything! =)

Almosttttttt

2009-04-22T01:50:00.000-07:00

I never know which letter to repeat when I want to express that I'm whining. Should it be "Allmooooooooooost?" But then it's al-moost, and that's phonetically awkward. Or what about silent e's? Such as, "Dudeeeeeeee"

Well, we are al-moost there. I booked my flight. Arriving in London for the Rotary Convention, and beginning French language studies at the Institut Francaise in London! British Visas = a whole 'nother monster. I don't wanna talk about it. Unless you have British citizenship, in which case I would like to marry you.

Okay, so I'm not logisitcally prepared. But getting there. My French courses are only 3 hours a day, so I'm looking for volunteer/research/work opportunities. I am ecstatic to have found the Jesuits in London, hurrah! I grew to love Ignatian spirituality and the Jesuit approach to service and justice during my time at Loyola Marymount University, a Jesuit University in Los Angeles. It was here that I made peace with the Catholic church that I pouted at for some of its unjust and unreasonable practices and stances (they're still there, we're still fighting). But to let those things hamper me from my spirituality is just...impractical.

Anyhow, the Jesuit Refugee Service and Heythrop College's Institute of Religion, Ethics, and Public Life are organizations I hope to work with the other 12 hours of the day I have after French class. Thank God for the Jesuits and their coolness.

AND, super exciting: I got my hands on the list of Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars studying in the UK and Ireland! I was totally refreshed when someone's response to my email had "Lun" where "Mon" normally is for my email (Lundi vs. Monday?). Hurrah! We have arrived. In the global community. =)

Well folks, it is 2 AM, which means it is 10 AM in London. I'm gonna hassle King's College London for an acceptance letter now. I told you I wasn't logisticlally prepared. No worries, getting there! Goodnight, world!

West Coast RI Ambassadorial Scholar Orientation

2009-02-23T01:22:00.001-08:00

Hey team!

This weekend I had the privilege of meeting 39 other Ambassadorial Scholars leaving the West Coast to every little nook and cranny of the world to spread positive peace and goodwill.

I'll write more on my personal blog in a few days on some thoughts I pondered about what effective cultural exchange for justice requires.

Oh, and a BIG thank you to Dr. Eric Shapira, Steve Wright, and all the other Rotarians that put on this nearly flawless program.

Our District 5280 Outbound Ambassadorial Scholars:
And an inbound scholar, Won Young from Korea!

London Internship Hunt

2009-01-02T13:21:00.001-08:00

I'm hunting for something good to do between May-September 2009 in London before school starts. My criteria:

-An international humanitarian/human rights organization
-A place where my skills and experience in political philosophy and activism will be useful to the cause/organization
-A place where I'll be challenged (not work I've done before)
-Paid, or at least fed and sheltered.
-Faith-based would be nice, but not necessary. You know I love Jesuit education.

For now, the International Justice Mission internship looks perfect, if I can just get the dates and the funding.

IJM is a human rights organisation that rescues victims of violence, sexual exploitation, slavery and oppression. IJM criminal investigators, lawyers and aftercare psychologists document cases of abuses and mobilise intervention on behalf of those who are suffering. Cases range from sex trafficking to bonded slavery.

If anyone knows of any other organizations/grants that would work, let me know! Thanks, team!

London Scavenger Hunt

2008-12-26T23:29:00.000-08:00

Things to find in London:

-A Catholic church with an excellent choir
-A Chinese Wushu studio (martial arts), preferably a competitive team?
-A threading place to keep my eyebrows looking happy
-A mobile phone
-CHINATOWN (actually, just good Asian food will do)

=)

An ongoing list...

"How to save the world (When you're not really good at it)"

2008-12-21T18:53:00.000-08:00

Hahhahaha, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

by Joe Queenan

The Rotarian January 2009

Millions of people would love to make the world a better place but lack the philanthropic chops to do so. Some people are not naturally caring and empathetic. So we compensate for this by marrying people who are. Some people are not naturally pleasant. So we compensate for this by marrying people who are. Some people are not naturally oriented toward aiding the infirm, tending to the elderly, protecting the environment, ensuring that everyone gets a fair shake. So we marry people who are.

Years of being a moral parasite have taught me one valuable lesson: If you can’t make the world a better place, you can at least stop making it worse. Seventy-five percent of success in the world of philanthropy is achieved not by getting good people to come out and do good things but by getting bad people to stay home. Here, then, are a few proven strategies for improving the human condition when you are basically a rank amateur:

Chauffeur the virtuous. If you can’t make the world a better place but you know people who can, offer to drive them wherever they’re going to improve the human condition. Study after study shows that a lot of really good people do not have driver’s licenses, and would appreciate a lift, even if this livery service for the virtuous is provided by the vile.
Tip everybody for everything. Tipping is the easiest way for not-naturally-nice people to give back because it makes the tipper feel better about himself, is completely tax-deductible, and is an effective way to get rid of pennies.
Ride public transportation. Think of all the bad things that result from driving a car: depletion of the ozone layer, smog, road rage, congestion, damage to our infrastructure. Not to mention accidents. Then think of how all these social ills could be averted if more people started riding public transportation. If all the bad people in the world would only use public transportation, we wouldn’t need as many good people. That’s because it is almost impossible to do anything harmful to the human condition while riding light commuter rail.
Just stay in bed. Most of the world’s ills are caused not because so many people got out on the wrong side of the bed, but because so many morally neutral people got out of bed at all. If you’re not naturally inclined toward performing good works, try spending more time in the sack. It cuts traffic, reduces the number of morally ambivalent people out there, and just generally makes it easier for the virtuous to get on with their business. Nothing is more demoralizing to those attempting to save the world than the smirks and catcalls of the congenitally grumpy.
Take up virtue as a hobby. Ordinary people are terrified that if they start doing one thing to make the world a better place, they’ll have to do it 24 hours a day like Angelina Jolie or Ben & Jerry. But if you can just get yourself to think of virtue as a hobby, like whittling or Scottish country dancing, you can limit the amount of time you spend saving the world to about 45 minutes a week. I get by with a half-hour.
Put a sock in it. I’ve had to learn this the hard way, but if you can’t say something nice – and who can? – it’s better not to say anything at all. If people of a non-messianic disposition would simply shut up and stop making snide comments about Al Gore and Sting and Bono, bona fide do-gooders could get on with their mission to save the planet and we’d all be living in Paradise. That’s right: No more snide comments from this quarter. None.

Hollywood Rotary

2008-12-02T17:24:00.001-08:00

Hollywood Rotary visit! Thanks for having me, folks! And great conversation, too. =D

Superstar counselor Joe, me, and Karl
Dr. Wong proudly took this with his new iPhone. =)

How baller is this pin? Thanks, folks!

Ms. Salim: Your Ambassadorial Scholarship Assignment

2008-11-08T17:46:00.000-08:00

"We are pleased to inform you that the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation have approved your application for a 2009-2010 Ambassadorial Scholarship and have assigned you to the study institution named below.

King's College, University of London

Rotary District: 1130"

I am SO ecstatic and grateful!!! My first choice program!!! I <3 Rotary!!!

Here's what I'll be studying:

Our divided world

How should we talk to each other across national, ethnic, and religious barriers?
Is war ever justified? Terrorism?
How much should justice be sacrificed for the sake of peace?

Globalisation

Should limits be placed on global capitalism?
How much can countries rightly limit immigration?
Do the huge inequalities between countries in health, wealth, and education matter?

Our responsibilities for our world

Who is responsible for acting to prevent environmental catastrophe?
Must individuals give money to fight severe poverty abroad?
Is it acceptable to alter genes to improve the supply of food?

Future generations

How important are the lives of future people compared to those of people alive now?
How much should we use technology to change the characteristics of the people in the next generation?

Inglewood Rotary Visit!

2008-10-27T00:17:00.000-07:00

Did a program at Inglewood Rotary. =) Thanks for your hospitality!

Superstar counselor Rich, me, and President Robert

Westchester Rotary Visit, wheeee!

2008-10-02T00:54:00.000-07:00

I love this place, home! As you know, Westchester Rotary is my sponsoring club. Superstar Rotary Counselors include: Grampa Fred Kiesner, Dr. Joe Callinan, and Rich Musella.

Thanks to Myra and Mason for some excellent bonding at the table, Past District Governor John Colville for coming with Tori Hettinger, Kim Low, and Claudia from Rotaract, and Rod for my exciting Rotary business cards!

Grampa Fred and Joe!

Past President Warren Bobrow. We're geeky...

My Bio

2008-09-25T22:31:00.001-07:00

Hello again, world. I've finally written that short bio Joe has been asking for. Here it is in a nutshell; as Grampa Fred says, "Tell 'em where you've been, where you are, where you'd like to be, and how Rotary is gonna help you get there."

Cynthia Salim is humbled to serve as a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar for Westchester Rotary and District 5280. As a Rotary Ambassador of Goodwill, she plans to obtain a graduate degree in Human Values and Contemporary Global Ethics from King's College of London in 2009. Cynthia is currently a senior Philosophy and Political Science double major at Loyola Marymount University. She credits her Jesuit and Marymount education at LMU for her development as a scholar-activist committed to the promotion of justice. In her first year at LMU, Cynthia founded Alumni Connect, a mentoring program that improves access to higher education for inner-city youth in Long Beach. As a Student Senator and President of Students for Labor and Economic Justice, Cynthia supported the Los Angeles Living Wage campaign to lift hotel workers out of poverty. Cynthia is grateful to have the support of her Rotary family and the Rotary Foundation as she develops a career in social justice. She hopes to work for an international NGO one day to increase access to education, improve the lives of women, alleviate poverty, and create a more equitable and ethical global community.

This is the long version of what Grampa Fred requested: my Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship Statement of Intent:

My years of service have taught me that working for a better world is not always easy. But every time I faced tough challenges or lost my sense of efficacy, my community of like-minded individuals would unfailingly come to the rescue. Words cannot express my amazement for the ways in which my peers in Sursum Corda Service Organization have lifted one another up through the challenging times of our humanitarian work. The friendship we forged through our shared purpose was humanity at its best, and together we accomplished great things and learned so much about solidarity, friendship, and goodwill. I was excited to learn of this scholarship from 2005 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar Aram Nadjarian because I knew it would allow me to build a relationship with Rotary International. And frankly, I hope Rotary will one day be the Sursum Corda of my adult life, giving and taking from me the ideals of service above self and friendship and goodwill. Before I enter into the field of public policy and international law, I am determined to obtain this Masters Degree in Human Values and Contemporary Global Ethics to better understand the ethical philosophy behind the work I will be committing myself to. As I complete my undergraduate career and leave Sursum Corda at LMU, I am a bit anxious about where I will get my inspiration and support from. I know that tough times will come; especially in the international humanitarian field I will be working in. While I am strong in my beliefs about justice and goodwill, I know the power of a community of like-minded individuals to bring the world as it ought to be into reality. I would be honored to have Rotary International walk with me as I embark on my graduate studies and develop my career in international justice.

My intended field of study is Human Rights and Contemporary Global Ethics at King's College of London. I chose this field to complement my career goal of working in the field of international labor law, human rights, and public policy. While the three are interconnected, even more interconnected with policy is the role of shared human values and global ethical philosophy. Ethical philosophy serves as the backbone of our public policies. In an increasingly globalizing world, my ability to reconcile cultural differences with shared human values will be of tremendous value to my career in the international field. As improved communication technology allows and forces us to see the reality of the human condition around the world, we are burdened with the responsibility of intervening and acting upon moral principles to create a more just world. Questions of morality and political philosophy will undoubtedly arise in the near future as we move towards one global community. As a future leader in public policy and international law, I want to be well-equipped with the logic and philosophy behind the policies we will choose to implement to improve the human condition. The location of the best ethics and human rights programs are in Western Europe, which I think reflects educational inequity on an international scale. I chose King's College of London because it had the perfect program for me. But after the privilege of obtaining this world class education, I plan to continue my work in educational equity to ensure an even distribution of quality education globally and make it accessible to those of all socioeconomic backgrounds and cultures, and especially to women.

My work with Students for Labor and Economic Justice combined with my rigorous studies in philosophy and political theory instilled in me this passion for understanding human values and global ethics. I take about monthly visits to my political theory professor, Dr. John Parrish's office hours to flail about anxiously about the unquantifiable nature of justice, the problems of cultural relativism, and the subjectivity of human values. I have truly appreciated Dr. Parrish's patient counseling that has inspired me to obtain this Master's degree in order to delve more deeply into this subject that I think is so important to advocacy of human and labor rights. After working fervently on the living wage campaign for hotel workers as the President of Students for Labor and Economic Justice, I began to question how justice is determined and why labor has come to be so exploited around the world. We recently screened the documentary "Made in LA" about garment workers in downtown Los Angeles whose labor was exploited by fashion retailer Forever 21. For some reason, the level of empathy grew tenfold when my peers discovered that the sweatshops were in Downtown Los Angeles as opposed to somewhere in India. It was as if exploitation afar was somehow more acceptable than the exploitation of our own neighbors. I hope to help the world move towards a more global understanding of justice and human dignity so that we can recognize and support the plight of those a flight away with the same passion we have for those being exploited a block away. The work of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center and the Garment Worker's Center was focused on getting workers the human dignity and justice they deserved. The concept of human rights has always been a fascinating one to me, and my course in the Philosophy of Human Rights further developed my interest in it. While I received a fellowship to obtain my Masters degree in Public Policy and International Affairs at Carnegie Mellon University, I do not feel prepared to go into that quantitative work before first understanding the moral and philosophical theories that justify the work I will be doing. The Human Values and Contemporary Global Ethics program will well prepare me for a career in the dynamic and challenging field of international justice and policy.

I am looking forward to interacting with my host Rotary Club at King's College of London. My attunement to community needs has allowed me to develop several successful service programs such as Alumni Connect. When I arrive at my institution of study, I will definitely be capable of identifying needs and developing programs to address those needs through Rotary International. But one of the most natural service projects for me to conduct as an Ambassadorial Scholar would be to facilitate the development of a Rotaract or Interact club. The impact of service organizations on young people will be the key to developing responsible world leaders. I recently applied for a grant to conduct independent research on Social Activism in European Higher Education. From my conversations with many professors who helped me apply for this grant and have taught in Europe, the impression I get is that there is less social activism than there needs to be in European higher education. Having benefited so greatly from LMU's Center for Service and Action, I cannot imagine how one would grow to be a responsible world leader without engaging in hands on social activism at the high school and college level. Having built and facilitated the City of Lakewood Teen Boards for many years, I will be more than happy and able to lead the development of yet another service organization with the support of Rotary International.

It would be a privilege for me to share with Rotarians and outside organizations alike the importance and impact of the work of Rotary International. But most importantly, I hope Rotary International can become my new Sursum Corda, a community that nurtures and embraces by realistic idealism; a community I can reflect and serve with.

District Picnic at Seaside Lagoon

2008-09-25T22:03:00.001-07:00

Ooh, this was a fun one. The annual Rotary Family picnic! This year's location: Seaside Lagoon in Redondo Beach!

Past District Governor Dave Moyers and my Ambassadorial Scholar sister, Lindsey Fyfe!

Rotaractors from our District (5280)

Kim Low, you're a superstar! Rotaract District Governor makin' some bank for Rotaract Youth Programs...

Tori Hettinger from the District Office, and Lindsey.

District President's Dinner

2008-09-13T02:24:00.000-07:00

September 9th President's Dinner at the Toyota Museum in Torrance!
Thank you for the photos, Linton!

With Joe (my Ambassadorial Scholarship Sponsor) and Sue from Thai Town Rotary!

Ah, District Governor Chuck Anderson and his mascots!

Mason Shayan, Westchester Rotary President and Dr. Joe Callinan, my Ambassadorial Sponsor!

Thai Town Rotary

2008-09-11T02:09:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I spontaneously joined Lek Pollard (my favorite!) from Westchester Rotary for a Thai Town Rotary meeting a few weeks ago.

It was a blast. This club was started by our very own Lek just two years ago. We had some visitors from Rotary in Bangkok Thailand come. Among them, Dr. Patcharaporn Panyawuthikrai, Rotary Foundation Alumni Association President! That's exciting, I can't wait to join them as an alum after my year of study.

Here are some photos:

With Lek

The whole crew

Also at the meeting were the dynamic duo Past District Governor John Colville and Assistant Governor Rick Searey who spoke on some District events.

The district is collecting toys for "The Christmas Train" rolling to Tecate, Mexico. I've acually been in Tecate, Mexico during the Epiphany in January handing out toys to masses of excited children. If I liked anything as much as these kids liked toys...

Check out this crazy toy-delivery line from that Alternative Break I did with Loyola Marymount University back in January of 2007:

So if you have toys and books, find me so we can donate them for this event next year!

That's all for now, goodnight!

Rotary Ranked Among Top NGOs for Corporate Partnerships

2008-08-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

The Financial Times has ranked Rotary International one of the top five nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) for corporate partnerships. In the newspaper's special supplement, Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy, Rotary came in fifth in the global rankings of 34 finalists.

Rotary International News

11 July 2007

The Financial Times has ranked Rotary International one of the top five nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) for corporate partnerships. In the newspaper's special supplement, Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy, Rotary came in fifth in the global rankings of 34 finalists.

Published in conjunction with the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit held 5-6 July in Geneva, the supplement reached some 1.4 million senior business executives, industry and government leaders, and private/institutional investors across 140 countries.

The summit, which was chaired by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, featured an international roster of business leaders, government ministers, and heads of civil society and focused on such key challenges to building future markets as human rights and climate change. RI Director Bernard Rosen of Belgium represented RI President Wilfrid J. Wilkinson at the event.

UN Global Compact and Dalberg Global Development Advisors, who developed the report in preparation for the summit, surveyed 20,000 companies worldwide, identifying 550 NGOs, UN agencies, foundations, and other organizations with which companies had partnered, and profiled 85 of those based on company ratings.

Organizations that ranked higher than RI showcased long-standing partnerships with corporations. Because RI's global partnerships include only UN agencies and other nonprofit organizations - and only Rotary clubs and districts have partnered with corporations to date – the organization's ranking should be considered exemplary. RI has a long and distinguished history of collaborating with other organizations in the name of humanitarian service. Learn more about how Rotary works with other groups.

Read the special report at The Financial Times Web site.

The Motherland!

2008-05-29T22:06:00.000-07:00

How random, Rotary visited my motherland, Indonesia! Oh my...the Pramuka (Girl/Boy Scouts) uniform. I definitely have that outfit from 5th grade...

A school of kids who like seeing the Bulle or white man!

HAHA, nice caption. Yes, the white man always did draw attention.

Group Study Exchange

From Hugo Pike,currently leading the GSE team in
Indonesia[District 3400].

Report NO:1

"So far we have had a tremendous first week here. Initially hosted by theRC of Surabaya and then the RC of Surabaya Selatan (South). Week one has included visits to the East Java Police HQ and the locally producednational newspaper the Java Post and Java TV. Sandy Padgett was then givenfurther opportunities to visit the Womens Police Dapartment, ride along on a routine patrol, and met the top CID team that had won this year's award for the most arrests. This together with a tour around the red light district and a night market where a decapitation had taken place during the past week have also been included. SP then featured in the Java Post with articles on each of three days. It will be someone else's turn to take centre stage this week. We have also visited a school for the deaf which may well lead to a request for matching grant - but today we go to an orphanage and I have already been asked to consider a matching grant request there too!"

Report No:2

Dear All,

Some thoughts after the first 10 days of our GSE vocational and cultural exchange to Indonesia:

Sandy: Just a few thoughts from the first two weeks. It is impossible to put this in a concise format, so I will use words to describe some of my initial thoughts on what I have seen and experienced rather than narrative as this will come later. I have felt overwhelmed, the heat and atmosphere and persistent differences will not let you rest. You sit at the end of the day with thoughts and images running through your mind impossible to control shifts in emotions. There is a significant and sometimes disturbing difference between rich and poor and equality of opportunity is not common. The country appears to be in a state of flux with a growing economy keen to become open to outside investment but aware that a cultural change in terms of corruption and bribery is needed to improve confidence. The lack of social care has created a country of innovators, everyone is industrious and the city teams with life and opportunities. The lack of IT infrastructure within the police service produces staff who work well to maintain relationships and excel as a team and are proud about their achievements. There is much to learn and take back, and hopefully the opportunity now and in the future to influence policy here and at home.

Sarah: What a fantastic start to GSE! We've done so much in one week already – from visits to local TV, newspaper offices, an advertising company, super mall manager, and orphanage and schools. My host families have been incredibly kind, caring and attentive and I have made some super contacts to follow up back in the UK. Too much to tell you just in one email, but I am keeping a detailed diary to make sure the memories stay alive. Thank you for such a amazing experience and opportunity.

Katy: It has been an incredible first ten days. I feel part of a vocationally and diverse and enthusiastic team, bonded by the ever present British humour. We have experienced a high media profile and enjoyed an often packed schedule of vocational visits. However, to date, the most valuable times have been spent with my host families. Eating local food, waking early, and taking a nap, bathing many times a day and praying with them. Every family has been kind and welcoming giving me a unique insight into life in Java.

Daniel: The first week has been incredible and one with great and evocative experiences, these include experiences of:

Poverty and Wealth– driving in the cities soon shows you the poverty and wealth that people endure. ¼ is unemployed and many are below the 2$/day poverty line. There are open sewers; rubbish mountains, beggars and many homeless, there are also shanty towns. Alongside this there are also many people who are very rich, with 10% of the population being $ millionaires.
Health and Social Care – the systems here have similarities to America and other insurance based systems across the world. This means that there is little if no intervention by the government in social matters with the family providing the main supporting roles. The result being that the families live closer together, but when this occurs alongside some quite strong views about appropriate behaviour (divorce or having children outside marriage) and views about disadvantage and disability that are not as inclusive as those in the UK people can suffer isolation and 'shame'. More to come on this…,
Tolerance – My experiences to date have shown me that the books I read to prepare are outdated for instance the females are not restricted in what they can wear apart from in mosques. Perhaps the reasons behind this are the ways in which people from different backgrounds live very closely and peacefully with each other.
Other – I would like to say more about GSE hosts, food, traffic, Climate and Street Life but I will save this for a later dispatch.

Hugo:

The Team

My first thoughts are to do with the team. Hard to think back to last October when we made the selections and the fortnightly meetings from early November to plan and prepare for our visit. However, the way in which all four members have formed into a really effective and supportive team is the outcome.

Rotary

The reception from all the Rotary Clubs so far has been wonderful. Individual host families have opened up their homes and allowed us to share their everyday lives without reservation – 'Total Immersion' in their culture. This has included a sometimes bewildering range of foods, cuisines ranging from traditional Indonesian, to Japanese, to Chinese, to regional specialities, and even the rare Steak house (sic).

So far we have been asked to consider two projects with a view to matching grant in each of the Districts and there may yet be more arising from the three weeks yet to run.

Batu

During the current week we were taken to a hill resort about 100 km south of Surabaya to be guests of honour at a Conference for the East Java Construction Industry (held every 5 yrs). Imagine a conference with some 300 delegates and a host of VIP participants including the Governor of East Java (one of 27 districts in Indonesia) preceded by three Javanese dancers in traditional costume and accompanied by a 17 strong choir of men and women that entertained us at intervals between the formal speeches! Could change the future of our own meetings back in the UK

Hugo

Report No:3

Message from Dan Lyus (on behalf of the team):
1. A view of Indonesia in 2007
Our experience has reminded me (in a good way) of looking at an ants nest , this is because:
a) This country is full of people 280 million in total and 90% on Java, making Java one of the most densely populated piece of land
anywhere in the world i think.
b) The people are so industrious - think of any type of vocation and it is being conducted here by people. There are few automatic processes,
buying anything in a shop normally involves one person to charge you and one person to take your money, sometimes there is even a person
to pack your purchase as well. I could go on to talk about the newspaper sellers that walk between the 6 lanes of traffic or the markets that
start at 10pm and run till dawn, but lets just say i have great respect for how people will fill any job to earn a living.
c) There is not conflict in living this close to each other in fact there is great tolerance and kindness (superficially at least - it is difficult for
me to truley).
d) Another action that fits the ant analogy is the fact that workers seem to carry so much more than would seem possible
(women can carry 25kgs on their head (that is the weight of my suitcase for this 5 week exchange!) and people stack so much onto their cars and bikes - i have seen two people on a motorbike carrying three push bikes,
e) To stretch this comparison further, like ants, they really can eat a lot - food is everywhere and available non-stop- but despite the size of the meals that people eat and the fact that rice is served with all 3 meals
i have only seen 3-4 people who look worringly overweight (considering that that there seem to be 3-4 people per sq meter this is crazy)

Rotary Great Britan and Ireland

2008-05-29T22:02:00.001-07:00

SHELTERBOX AID FINALLY REACHES CHINA VICTIMS

Report Date: 29/05/2008

The immediate response by ShelterBox, the grass-roots humanitarian aid organisation supported by Rotary worldwide, of 800 boxes to China has finally reached some of the Sichuan Provinces worst hit villages.

Distribution of the first 200 boxes began this week (Tuesday 27^th May), led by the four-man ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) on the ground. The first consignment of boxes were split into two lots of 100.

Pat Prendergast, Team Leader, reported on the two villages of Pengzhou & Bailu commented: "Tents are up and the locals are extremely happy, they are no doubt going to be under canvas for sometime, and the ShelterBox tents are creating an excellent base."

"The Chinese people we have met have been brilliant, sadly though we can only help a few thousand of this vast population – more tents are desperately needed."

SRT member, Tom Lay reported "The people are too scared to live in the town and have spread themselves along the mountain pass, we spoke to the Mayor of a small community who were in need of 3000 tents, but he said people further up the mountain were in more desperate need and we should use the ShelterBox equipment there, an attitude of the people here that they have all joined together to help each other."

Back at HQ in Cornwall the volunteers are busily unpacking a mixed selection of tents supplied from Vango who are pulling out all the stops to supply as many tents as possible, ironically back to the country of origin.

In Chengdu, the base camp for the ShelterBox Response Team, several aftershocks have been experienced – the highly motivated and trained responders are coping well and reporting to HQ on a daily basis. For all 'in-country' updates and reports on their progress please contact the Helston office on 01326 569782 and a secure line will be issued to you to speak with the SRT team leader.

Hello, World!

2008-05-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, welcome to my blog!

My name is Cynthia Salim and I am humbled and honored to be a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar.

Sponsored by Rotary International, this scholarship will allow me to develop a humanitarian career by pursuing an MPhil in Human Values and Contemporary Global Ethics in the United Kingdom or Ireland in 2009-2010!

In the coming years, I will serve as an Ambassador of Goodwill for Westchester Rotary and District 5280 by furthering Rotary International's mission of "Service Above Self" and speaking on the good work of Rotary Foundation.

"The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty."

The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarship is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas. And here we are folks, the 2009-2010 Ambassadorial Scholars for District 5280:

Lindsey Fyfe (LA 5 Rotary), Cynthia Salim (Westchester Rotary), and Jamie Feld (Westwood Rotary)!

There are some phenomenal people who have made my Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar experience a blast. A big thank you to the Rotarians who have adopted me as their scholar and gone on plenty of adventures with me:

Dr. Joe Callinan, my sponsor and chaperone to the fifty million events I insist on attending;
Dr. Fred Kiesner/Grampa Fred, my other sponsor who responds to my emails in 28 point font at all hours of the night;
Mason Shayan, Westchester Rotary President for his hospitality and support;
and many, many more who have welcomed me, Lindsey, and Jamie with open arms into the Rotary family.

And of course, this program wouldn't be possible without the generous donations made by Rotarians to the Rotary Foundation. Thank you! It means the world to us.

Well team, check back for updates. It's going to be a fun year. Email me at CynthiaSalim@gmail.com if you have questions, or would like to have me at your Rotary meeting or event! I love visiting!

In service and solidarity,
Cynthia Salim
Philosophy, Political Science
Loyola Marymount University '09